Folding extension-ladder and truck



(No Model.)

' v 2 sheetsllsneet 1.

J. B. GILLESPIE. FOLDING EXTENSION LADDER AND TRUCK. N0. 363,889.

N. PETERS, Phullilhogmpher, Wlshnglun. D. C.

n* 2 Sheets--A-Sheet; 2. Jr- E. ULLLESPIE. vlEOLDINGr EXTENSION LADDER AND TRUCK.

(No Model.)

Patzented Ma UNITEDl STATESl 'PATENT OFFICE.

` JAMES E. GILLESPIE, OF WARVICK, NEI/V YORK.

FoLDme EXTENSION- LADDER AND TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,889, dated May 31, 1887. Application iledlebrunry1,1887.- Serial No. 226,124. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, J AMES E. GILLEsPIa'of Warwick, -in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and-useful Improvement in Folding Extension-Ladders and Trucks therefor, of which the following is a specification.

In Iny Letters Patent No. 345,427, dated July 13, 1886, I have shown and described a truck having a fire-ladder pivoted or hinged at its foot adjacent to and parallel with the rear axle of the truck, so that when the truck arrives at a fire it can be backed up toward the building, and theladder, which ordinarily folds forward upon the truck, can be swung upward and backward, so asto rest against the building, if desired. In the use of the ladder described in said Letters Patent the front axle is intended, when the ladder is to be used, to be swung or turned to cramp the wheels, so that the front axle will stand nearly longitudinally of the truck, and will thus brace and hold the truck against forward movement. I have now discovered that good results can be attained by pivoting or hinging the ladder near the front axle, and by providing a locking device whereby the turn-table or .tiftnwheel connection between the ltruck-body and front axlev may be locked or made inoperative, so as to tix the axle transversely tothe truck-body, and by further providing a fifth-wheel or turntable connection between the' truck-body and rear axle, so that the rear axle can be turned into position lengthwise of the truck to hold the truck against movement when the ladder is in use.

My invention also relates to mechanism employed for extending the several-sections of which the ladder is composed. f

Myinvention also relates to a novel construction of the side bars or portions of laddersections, whereby they may be more readily attached toeach other for-sliding one on another, and whereby their strength is increased.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a truck and ladder embodying my invention, Ythe section being taken immediately inward of one of the side frames of the truck. Fig. 2 is a plan of the truck and ladder. Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof upon about the plane indicated by the dotted line z z, Fig. 1, looking toward the left hand from said line. Fig. 4is alongitudi- Fig. 5 is a horizontal section .upon

vation, upon a larger scale, of a portion of the ladder, showing it as raised into an upright position; and Fig. 9 is a view, upon a small scale, of the extended ladder, showing its rungs as arranged at a decreasing distance apart toward the top.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the igures.

A designates the truck-frame, which may be of wood or metal, and B C designate, respectively, the front and rear axles, on which are the front and rear wheels, B' G.f These axles are respectively connected with the truck', l

in this example of my invention, by fifth-wheel or turn-table connections b c, so that their axles may be swung relatively to the truckbody. II also provide means Iwhereby either the front or rear axles, B C, may be locked or lixed in posit-ion transversely of the truckbody, for a purpose hereinafter described, thus rendering either turn-tableor fifth-wheel connection with the body inoperative. In this example of my invention, I have shown in Figs. 1 and 3 a locking pin or bolt, b', which passes through a lug or ear, b2, upon one part of the turntable or l'th-wheel connection at the frontaxle, and engages with another part, b3, of such connection. I have shown the portion c ofthe turntable connection c at the rear axle, C, as provided with atongue or lever,c2, which may engage with a catch, c3, to hold the axle fixed in position transverse to the truckbody A,and which,when disengaged from said catch, serves as means of turning the rear axle to the position shownv by dotted line in Fig. l, in which it stands longitudinally 'to the truckbody A.

B2 designates a tongue or pole whereby the truck may be drawn, and which, when the truck arrives at a tire, may be removed, so as to enable the front end of the truck to be roo brought up near to a building on which the ladder is to be used.

The ladder, as I shallv hereinafter describe, is pivoted or hinged to the truck-body adjacent to and approximately parallel with the front axle, B, when said axle is fixed in a position transverse to the body by the use of the locking pin or bolt b. hile the truck is proceeding to a tire, -the rear axle, C, is locked by the tongue or lever c`l in its normal position to hold said axle fixed transversely of the truek-body, and the forward axle is free toL turn as usual. When-the truck arrives at a re,the tongue or pole B2 may be removed, the truck may be brought with its forward end near to the building, and the front axle, B, may be locked by the pin or bolt b', or equivalent locking device, so as to hold it in position transversely to the truckbody. The rear axle is then unlocked from its xed position, and by means of the tongue or -lever c2 Ais swung into position longitudinally of the truck-body, as represented by dotted'lines inv Fig. 1. This rear axle with its wheels then serves'to brace the truck and prevent its movement lengthwise away from the building in the same manner that the front wheels prevent such movement in the truck which, forms the subject of my aforesaid Letters Patent. f/

wise, the first upon the main section D, and

the others upon each other, as is usual. The

. way in which the side bars, d, of these laddersections are combined with each other for sliding is best shown in Figs. 3, 6, and 7. Each side bar or portion d has upon its one side a tongue, df, and upon the opposite side a groove, d2, and the tongues d', which are .integral with the side bars of one section, slide into the grooves d, formed in the side bars of the section next behind or in rear of the irst.

Ordinarily the side bars or rails of ladders have been made of a single piece of wood with whatever attachments may be necessary to fit them one to another for sliding; but according to my invention I compose each side bar of thin sections like veneers, which are aranged face to face in a vertical plane, as shown in Fig. 6, and are cemented together. The grain in the several thicknesses or veneers of which the side bar or rail, d, is composed will not be coincident with each other, and hence there is slight liability of the side bar or rail breaking, and they may be made lighter and smaller in transverse section than is possible' where each is composed of a single piece of wood, and still have adequate strength. Between the several layers or thicknesses of wood which are arranged in a vertical plane to form a side bar or rail, d, I may interpose layers of paper, d3, as shown in Fig. 7 by heavy black lines, and the several layers o f parallel with said axle when it is locked in a f fixed position transverse to the truck-body.

Edesignates a shaft which, as best shownin Figs. 4 and 5, extends transversely to the truckbody A, and is fitted to bearings e upon vthe opposite sides of such truck-body. The lower ladder-section, D, has lugs or ears, d, 4upon its under side, which tit and are adapted to turn upon the shaft E, and E designates a worm segment orgear,which is secured to the cross portions d5 ofthe main ladder-section D, as best shown in Fig. 4c.` Between the two side portions, A,of the truck-body extends a crossbar, A,which,at about the middle of'its lengt-h, is yoked, as shown at e in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, and supports or forms bearings for an approximately upright worm-shaft, e, having a Worm, e3, engaging with the worm-segment E.

e4 designates a shaft which extends longitudinally of the truck,and is mounted in bearings 65, and this shaft is, by bevel-wheels e, connected with the worm-shaft c2, and by bevel-wheels e7 is connected with a crossshaft, eB, which extends transversely to the truckfbody, and is adapted to receive operating-handles eg'upon its opposite ends, as best shown in Fig. 2. Two men may, therefore, be utilized in operating the worm e" through the shafts e4 es, and by the operation of said worm e upon the worm-segment E `the ladder will be swung upward ordownward,as may be desired.

As a means of extending the second section, D', of the ladder upon the main section D, l have represented chains or flexible connections f, which pass around sprocket or chain wheels fupon the shaft E, and which pass over guiding-pulleysff3 upon the main ladder-section D.` The chains or iiexible connections j' are attached at one end, f, to the footof the second ladder-section, D', one chain or flexible connection being at each side thereof, and at their other end the chains or flexible connections are attached at f5 to the upper end of the second ladder-section,D. It will therefore be understood that by the simultaneous turning of the two chain-wheels,f, which are at opposite sides of the truck, as shown in Fig. 5, the chains or flexible connectionsf will be rendered around the pulleys f2 f3 or traversed lengthwise, and the second laddersection, D', will be moved in one or the other direction upon the main section D.

It will be observed that thechains which pass around the wheelsf are secured at their opposite ends to the second ladder-section, D', near its ends. It would at first seem that this arrangement of the chains f is a useless expenditure of chain over what would be required if endless chains were extended between the wheels f and the sheaves or pulleys f3 and attached at one point to a second lad der-section; but as a matter of fact this arrangement of the chains, which is best shown in Fig. l, results in an important advantage. Itis often desirable to have the second laddersection, D', extend below or (in this instance) forward of the end of the main section D, and by the arrangement of chains which I have shown itis possible to extend or move the second section foralmostits entire length in either direction upon the main section. rangement provides for closing a ladder of a given -length within shorter compass Vthan would otherwise be possible.

As a means of operating the chain-wheels f at opposite sides ofthe truck synchronously, I have shown, particularly in Fig. 5, that lthe two chain-wheels are secured rigidly to or formed integral with gear wheels or pinions f6,'and these gear wheels or pinions are operated synchronously by suitable gearing.v As here represented, this gearing consists of corresponding wheels or pinions,fl, secured fast upon a cross shaft, f8, which is mounted in bearings fion the truck-body A, and is rotated J by bevel:tearingf10 lfrom a short shaft, f, to

which a handcrank may be applied. The shaft f is journaled in a cross bar or brace, j, connecting the opposite side portions of the truck-body A, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. By the operation of the shaftf1I the chain-wheels f' will be rotated synchronously, and the sec- -ond ladder section, D', will be moved in one or other direction on the section D.

The connections whereby each section of the ladder, after the first section, D, is caused to operate the section which slides Within it, are

best shown in Fig. 8, in which the ladder-sections are broken at the middle of their length in' order to show the parts upon a much larger scale. "From the previous description it will be understood that the section D',which slides in the main ladder section D, is operated by the chains f, before described, but the third ladder-section, D2, which slides in the section D', and the fourth section, D3, which slides in the section D2, and is not shown in Fig. 8, are operated in a different manner. I will describe the connection yof the section D' with the .section D2, and it will be understood that the other sections, be they more or less, are op eratedvin a corresponding manner. At opposite ends of the section D are secured brackets' cable or flexible connection h as attached at ha to the main ladder-section D, which is behind the section D', or in which said section D slides, and at h* to the section D2, which is in advance of the section D', and which slides in the section D. understood that as the sect-ion D is extended or moved outward in the section D by the operation of the chains or flexible connectionsf It will from the above description be the pulleys'h2 will be advanced with the seci -der readily from the bottom to the top, and

Without experiencing great fatigue or slacken` ing his speed of ascent toward the top, I arrange the rungs of the ladder as represented in Fig. 9-that is to sayfthe 'rungs s in the lower portion of 'the ladder are arranged at a greater distance apart than'the rungs s in the upper portion of the ladder.

teen inches apart; in the second section, DI', fifteen inches apart; in the third section, Dl,

fourteen inches apart, and in the fourth sec? tipn, D3, thirteen inches apart. These relativedistances of the rungs from eac-h otherl may be varied as found desirable in practice.v

The locking device, whereby the front axle may be held from swinging horizontally, combined'with the ladder pivoted adjacent to the forward axle, provides a novel 'and useful result. The'end of the truck at which the ladder is hinged is the one adjacent to the buildf ing against which the ladder is to be used, and when the ladder is raised the weight comes upon the forward end of the truck, and if the axle were not locked and were slightly skewed oroblique that end of the truck might run out or away at the side and fail to properly sustain the ladder in the position in which it is placed. It is most desirable to have the ladder pivoted adjacent to the front axle, as it may then trail or extend behind the truckin passing through streets, and it is necessary -to be able to cramp the wheels and axlemost distant fromthe building against which the ladder is placed,V in order to prevent the truck from running away from the building when the ladder is raised and weight comes upon it. It is also desirable to have thepback axle rigid and incapable of turning by a fifth-wheel connection, as the truck can then be better controlled in passing through streets and around corners. .For this purpose I provide fifth-wheel connections for bot-h axles, and the locking devices for both fifth-wheel connections, com,

bined with the'ladder pivoted adjacent to the forward axle", produce useful results.`

What/I/claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a truck having a In the first secy I tion, D, for example, therungs may be six- IOO IIO

turn-table or fifth-wheel connection between the Vforward end of its body and the front axle, of a locking device whereby the said axle may be fixed in position transverse to the body and a ladder pivoted or hinged at its footad-v `jacent to and parallel with the front axlewhen thus fixed in position, and arranged to swing backward and downward toward the rear end of the truck, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with a truckvhaving turn-table or fifth-wheel connections between its body and axles, of locking devices whereby said axles may be alternately fixed in posi tion transverse to the truckbody, the rear axle when the truck is to be drawn to a fire and the front axle when at a fire, and a ladder pivoted or hinged at its foot adjacent to the front axle and arranged to fold or swing backward and downward toward the rear end of the truck, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with a truck and. an extensionladder pivoted or hinged adjacent to one of its' axles, of chains or other flexible connections passing over pulleys on the main ladder-section D, and secured at their opposite ends near the opposite ends ofthe second section, D', and wheelsf on the main section engaging with the said chains or connections, and serving to operate them to extend the second section, substantially as herein described.

4. The combination, with a truck and the main and second ladder-sections, of chains passing around pulleys on the main section and attachedto opposite 'ends of the second section, the chaiirwheels f', attached to or formed with gear-wheels f, and engaging said chains, and gearing engaging with said gear- D2, of laterally-projecting brackets h, extend-- ing from the section D and carrying pulleys h2, and cords or other flexible connections, h', passing around said pulleys and attached at the pointsh3 h4 to the sections D D2, which are behind and in advance ofthe section D', substantially as herein described. A

7. In an extensionladder, the combination of sections, each having its side bars provided on oppositefaees with integral tongues d and grooves d, which respectively engage the grooves and tongues of the adjacent section,

the tongues being near the lower edges of the.

side bars and the grooves heilig near the up- 4per edges of the side bars, substantially as herein described.

8. The ladder-sectionsherein described,hav ing their side bars or rails each composed of a series of thin strips arranged face to face in a vertical plane and cemented together, substantially as herein set forth.

' JAMES E. GILLESPIE.

`Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNns, C. E. SUNDGREN. 

